Are you getting an iPad 3?

since when is this new? they renew every hardware on a yearly base.

as for game assets.. arent your game in 3d anyway? so its pretty resolution independant.. and rumors for an retina ipad where lurking around for ages.. a 2d project we started in october already included plans for such resolutions..

so anything 3d could play (content wise) easily along.. problematic is all the 2d content.. which assuming its looks similar to sclaed up sd games on the iphone 4+ screen, looks horrible..

then the biggest question mark is still the hardware.. pushing 4x the pixel will be verx demanding.. and i can only hope that they bump up all hardware specs accordingly.. i just hope its not the ipad 1 fiasco again where an 3gs had the same 256mb ram but had to render only at 320*480 compared to 1024*768

assuming apple is as conservative with their upgrades as always.. 1gb may be the most we see which won't be enough for proper support of the resolution.. and therefor the ipad 4 (like the ipad2) will be the real deal..

but as a dev you have to get the devices anyway... i wish there was a programm like couple years back where you could some saving on hardware if you develope for the platform..

 

why do you need to buy acrobat to save anything in PDF format??? .. every office program exports to PDF this , for example the free open office suite or one of the myriads of others tools avaiable.. you certainly don't need to buy an ipad for that

 

Hmm...I'm still confused by the whole art thing. Maybe if you already have a computer, you don't have any need for an iPad. Either that or you don't need to upgrade every year.

 

I think if people have an ipad 2 already they should probably use a lot of caution before getting the 3rd, yeah retina is better looking but like others have said it will take way more power to makes games work properly with that many pixels and I can't see the iPad 3 having it.

I'm surprised they are bring out the third when I don't believe I've ever seen anything use the full potential of the 2nd as yet but I suspect Apple is just expecting the usual crowd to line up for it and they probably will.

 

If it is retina screen, I may have to think twice. It seems to take devs ages to update games even when it was seemingly as simple as iOS software upgrade. (I understand it takes time/money/effort etc., but as a consumer, I understandably want things to work). So I may see what the App Store update market is like before buying. Or just simply buy a cheaper iPad 2.

 

All the first party apps will be retina for sure. Safari, mail and iBooks alone will be reason enough for me grab the iPad 3 even if nothing else was changed except retina display. Can't wait to not see these pixels on my iPad.

 

I just mean I think the ipad2 will be able to throw more polygons/sprites around unless the ipad 3 graphics chip is at least four times as powerful as the ipad2. I haven't seen a single game yet that takes advantage of the ipad2's claimed 7 times as powerful gpu but only using anti aliasing which may make a game look better but isn't pushing it anywhere even close to Apples claims.

There is a certain type of person who will buy anything with an apple on it, You see them on tech sites claiming Apple invented everything from the wheel to the moon and they will line up to hand their money over as long as someone tells them it's a gamechanger or magical, everybody already knows they exist it's not derisive to mention them.

edit: Just to be clear I'm not saying iPad3 is bad I'm just saying iPad2 has ton's of untapped potential which I find to be a shame and personally I wouldn't consider it as obsolete until such times that games/apps are making full use of it's power.

 

Just the fact the ipad2 was promoted as having a gpu 7 times as capable as the ipad and iphone 4. It also has twice the CPU power. That on paper was a heck of an upgrade and I've seen nothing using it as yet, anti aliasing is all I've seen.

 

The iPad is the best piece of technology I've ever owned.

It's perfectly understandable if you don't want one, but the inability to see it for its quality, utility, and potential is dumbfounding.

Some of the arguments against it in this thread are truly trollworthy.

 

well from a tech perspective there may be reasons for users who use the ipad2 mainly for gaming to wait and see how the specs of the ipad3 match to the new screen.

non retina games will look worse on the ipad3 as they did on the iphone 4 when it came out.. it will take some time for devs to update for the new retina display..

the first generation (iphone 4, ipad 1) where always lacking the proper power to push the pixel density.. the ipad 2 and iphone 4gs are the generation that really had the tech muscles to push the pixels properly as dozens of games show, especially the bigger technically complex games.

anyone knows that apple updates their products in a "soft" way.. introducing a few key features at a time instead of making big jumps..

so looking back at the idevice history every second generation is a "keeper" hardware you can use without restrictions for several years (as a gamer) .. as for the first generation.. they get over shadowed by their successor tenfolds..


but then again for someone who updates every year anyway it makes no big difference.. but if your not into yearly updates id rather wait and see what they offer under the hood.

in the end it really depends how you use it.. i can't imagine an retina ipad browser being a plus.. no website is designed for such resolutions so for their fullscreen browsing they need to start to scale things up.. which will never look better than a 1:1 pixel mapping..

as for other stuff like ebooks the new display will surely be amazing.. rendering pure text was one of the biggest benenfits of the iphone retina display making reading ebooks very comfortable on the small screen..

 

I disagree with this! I 100% feel that a full functioning computer plus a smartphone renders the iPad extremely unnecessary. I think most points against are valid. Most points for the iPad 3 are valid when you look at is a consumption device.

I've also done some research on tablet design and it seems better to get a Wacom tablet. If you're a serious artist, even the $2,000 one will be cheaper than the iPad if you consider functionality and that it can last you quite a while.

And for the people, like my mom, who want it for an ereader, that's plain idiotic. $500+ is a very high entry price to read books. Most ebooks aren't that much cheaper than paperbacks. Plus, if you just want an ereader get one for $80.

As a gaming system, it's whatever. IMO, it's too big. And if your looking for console experiences, save up for the $800 one, don't buy it, and get a new TV and a console.

For college students, especially ones running demanding software, they need a computer.

The iPad 3 is a consumption product. How much a person deems that necessary is, I guess, subjective.

 

a wacom tablet? you are aware that thoose are input devices nothing more? you need to hook them to a pc.. none of them are mobile.. neither intuos series nor the cintiqs ?

you scratch on alot of points there.. ebook, gaming, art, etc. and thats the benefit of the ipad.. its versatile.. surely its not the very best in each category.. but combining everything makes it an amazing package..

the size for gaming is great.. i have all current consoles hooked to an very big tv with an 7.1 system blowing your head off if you wish, a very good gaming rig and still the most mileage in gaming i do on the ipad..

and i honestly don't want "console" experiences on the ipad.. i want awesome ipad experiences.. if i want to play god of war i fire up the ps3.. if i want to play some halo the 360.. but thats nothing i need on the ipad..

i rather play the jewels of indie gaming the platform offers you, crafted with love into tiny packages that are being sold so cheap that i more than once felt like i'm stealing from fellow devs..

the huge sales and demand for the ipad shows that there is a huge market so such devices..

but of course its not for everyone.. but its not a niche product selling a few units a day.. its a device that started a boom.. and the competiton is running behind them stumbling to try to get some of that market..

its similar to netbooks.. when they came out alot of people said no one will buy them they are slow, small and you can't do the big computing a normal one can do.. and what happened.. they sold like wild.. even intel where taken by surprise and there was a big shortage of then for some time.. and now tablets are the new cool gadgets.

if you need one, again is of course up to you.. i enjoy the hell out of them as a consumption device.

 

Yeah, I was aware of the it as an input device. I guess I should have been more specific. If you have a computer there's no point in getting an iPad for art, at least that's how it seems to me. I mentioned the Cintiq because it seems to be the far better choice if you're super serious about using graphic tablets. Why do you need a tablet for on the go to do art? I was watching a 4 part Youtube video about a car designer and he said he still does his "ideazations" on paper. But as far as really wanting to 'hardcore' design stuff, Wacom seems to be the way to go.

I never said fads don't exist. We all get caught up in them, myself included. If the iPad seriously increases your workflow, then more power to ya. I can easily get by with a laptop and a mobile device. I take my mobile on the go and then I have my laptop for home use and when needed for class. The iPad doesn't fall any where into the equation, as far as practicality goes. Especially since it won't do everything I need.

Using it as a gaming machine is something I'll never understand. The only games that seem to work well with it are strategy ones, IMO. Plus, I'm not a 'lap' player, so that may be the problem.

As far as console gaming, I was directing that at all the people that ask for it here on the forum. I agree 100% with you about indie gaming.

IMO, business/enterprise users are best off waiting to see what Windows 8 tablets have in store if they're considering tablets.

Personally, I think the iPad will be getting passed up pretty soon. They'll just keep relying on indoctrination to sell their devices. But again, I'll just leave this as my opinion.

 

if you just read my last sentence you would see i myself use the ipad for consumption.. i do no heavy work on them..

i don't talk about it as a replacement for a workstation.. it is not..
but its mobile.. and yes alot of artist carry around paper sketchbooks
and scribble idea into them etc.

thats the reason the ipad 3 specific is of interest because of the extreme high resolution screen and therefore mobile "work".. and its not for me.. it was discussed in a round with our artists, as i said..

its surely not the device where you make the last finishing touches of your art.. but it may be very well the device where you start it.. a personal companion to travel with you..

so one can does work with it.. but then again this thread was not questioning if the ipad3 was a workstation replacement..


as for gaming.. well an ipad can be hold comfortable imho.. not for several hours.. but i don't play in such length .. rather than short burst (like most games are desgned for) so yes strategie, but also vertical shooter, line drawing, slicing and dicing games etc. pretty much any game i've played works better on the big screen..

but i was skeptic as well , the purchase of the ipad 1 was a development necessity, but once getting used to it.. the smaller devices collected dust at home.. my ios gaming is now nearly exclusive on the "big" screen. then again thats a personal taste..

 

@Mr. Ugly

Yeah, I see where you're coming from.

My point was that when I travel, I travel super light. Both my iPod and Android phone can get most jobs done. 'd actually only have one device, but I use my iPod for gaming.

TBH, here in the Midwest, I don't see too many iPads used for portability. The people I know that have them, including my dad, use them at home or for vacation.

As for art, I do my sketches in a sketchbook (no, I'm not a game artist). I have thought about getting a Wacom since this discussion started though. I hear a lot of people complaining about the pressure points of iPad. So, the Wacom selection seemed to be a better way to go, since I have a computer and like sketching on paper. Maybe Wacom should build a cheaper version of their Cintiq line to directly compete with the iPad. I'd consider getting something like that since I don't need a Cintiq. I'm assuming Wacom thinks they can't compete directly in the tablet market, or it's not worth it.

Personally, I'm wanting to see how this year pans out:

Ultrabooks vs. Ipad 3

Windows 8 tablet vs. iPad 3

whatever new Android tablet vs. iPad 3

Any unknowns that pop up vs. iPad 3

*I'm curious on the smartphone front as well.

 

If Windows mobile is anything to go by, iPad has no worries!!

 

Goofy, you're one of the people for whom iPads/tablets fill a gap which doesn't exist in your needs.

I'm typing this to you at my desk, where I work on games and graphic design. If I want to continue typing to you in the evening, and to visit facebook, read websites etc. it means I have to stay where I work or drag a heavy laptop around the house and sit with it making my legs sweat, or try to navigate the web on a tiny little smartphone screen. In these moments my Samsung Tablet is a godsend. Websites feel like something I can take with me and casually enjoy in a relaxed state, and until the iPad, browsing the web used to be a boxed-in, cumbersome thing.

The reason I originally went after tablets (started with a cheap Android Tablet called Advent Vega) was to show off my graphic design/art portfolio to people without having to get a new one printed every time I wanted to add new artwork. The Android Tablet I got back then was just no good and I needed something to test my iOS projects on so I moved to iPad.

When you actually think about it, just a few years ago there was no good way of showing somebody a piece of digital information without either printing out a static image, huddling them around a computer or handing them your mobile phone while they squint at the thing. It feels almost archaic now to think of saying 'hey let me show you something', turning a laptop around and watching the person kneeling to adjust to the viewing angle etc.

Gaming on the iPad, don't knock it until you try it. Sure, it's not great for games with virtual buttons, even the iPad 2 is way too big and heavy for that (My Galaxy Tab 8.9 is the right size and weight to use like a game controller, but I couldn't recommend iPad for the likes of NOVA or ShadowGun), but in the case of adventure games like Machinarium, touch-puzzles like World of Goo and touch-centric arcade games like Fruit Ninja, there is no better way to play them.

For me, personally, iPads just feel a little bit useless beyond these features, which is why I switched to an Android tablet with its multitasking OS, accessible file system etc. (Google completely reinvented Android for tablets, making it almost Windows-like, whilst the iPad still to this day pretty much just uses the iPhone's OS on a bigger screen), but for people who just use the web to browse Facebook, send and receive e-mails, and visit forums, iPad is fantastic. Yeah, it doesn't have any advantages over a laptop software-wise, but its form makes a huge difference. Having the web at your disposal without having to open up, power on, navigate with that awkward trackpad thing (unless you want to set up your mouse and find a desk to put it on) etc. is the huge difference which iPads and Tablets make. Thanks to my Galaxy Tab I rarely find myself sitting at my Mac or sweating with my Windows Laptop on my knees when I'm not working.

Tablets can definitely be the next evolution of the computer, potentially ousting the concept of netbooks (and even eliminating the need for full laptops in some industries), but right now they sell only as entertainment devices, hence why the two most popular ones are the most limited (iPad and Kindle Fire), and most people have no idea what a Transformer Prime is. Pages, Keynote, Garageband, iMovie etc. are bringing work and media creation to the iPad but the OS is still too basic to use it as a full workstation, IMO, so it needs to catch up with Android if businessmen are to continue taking it seriously, whilst Android's market needs to catch up with the iTunes store.

 

Windows Mobile is way different from Windows Phone 7/Windows 8.

While I have decided on getting an iPad for the most part, having a more PC-like tablet (i.e. Windows 8) is pretty tempting too.